Agriculture - Sacco Review | The Leading Newspaper for Co-operative Movement in Kenya

Kenyan Purple Tea secures direct entry into premium French markets through landmark pact

Sacco ReviewMay 11, 202605 mins

Kenyan tea farmers are set to access high‑value international buyers following the signing of a landmark export and promotional agreement between French tea company Palais des Thés, Gatanga Industries Limited, and Equity Group Holdings Plc. The deal was signed in Nairobi on the sidelines of the Africa Forward: Africa–France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth Summit,…

Kenyan coffee farmers earn Ksh1.75B more through direct export sales in March

Sacco ReviewMay 11, 202607 mins

Kenyan coffee farmers, cooperatives, and exporters earned significantly higher returns from direct coffee export sales in March 2026 as international buyers continued paying premium prices for high-quality and traceable Kenyan coffee outside the traditional auction system. According to a new report by the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), growers and exporters sold 1.70 million kilograms…

Ban use of toxic chemicals in agriculture, environmentalist tells Govt

Sacco ReviewMay 9, 2026May 9, 202604 mins

Scientist and Environmentalist, PM Mokaya has petitioned the African Union to ban the use of toxic chemicals in agriculture, arguing that profit-driven farming is endangering human health, soil fertility, and the continent’s food security. Mokaya cited highly hazardous pesticides, or HHPs, that are still used across Africa despite being banned or restricted in the EU…

Pakistan tea importers protest Kenya’s new export levy, warn of rising costs

Sacco ReviewMay 9, 202604 mins

Kenya’s largest tea export market, Pakistan, has formally protested the newly introduced 0.8 per cent export levy on tea, warning that the measure will raise import costs and strain an already fragile market. In a letter addressed to the Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) Chief Executive Officer Willy Mutai, the Pakistan Tea Association (PTA) urged…

TBK defends new tea levy, says it will boost farmer earnings and sector competitiveness

Sacco ReviewMay 8, 202608 mins

The Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) has moved to address growing concerns over a new tea levy, saying the charge is designed to fund industry development programmes and ultimately raise returns for tea farmers across the country. In a press statement dated May 8, 2026, TBK Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Willy Mutai said the government…

Agri‑Fintech partnership unveils instant credit model for agricultural stockists in Rift Valley

Sacco ReviewMay 7, 2026May 8, 202604 mins

Agricultural stockists across the Rift Valley and Central Kenya are set to benefit from a new financing model that promises to ease long‑standing cash flow challenges in the farm input supply chain. The initiative, spearheaded by Avenews Agri‑Fintech in partnership with Grebe Enterprises Limited, will allow agro‑traders to access instant credit at the point of…

AFA and Lamu County deliver Ksh 20 million agricultural package to boost cotton, biofuel value chain

Sacco ReviewMay 7, 202606 mins

Lamu County farmers received a multi-million shilling agricultural boost on May 7 after the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) and the County Government of Lamu jointly launched a seed pressing facility in Hongwe and delivered 3 tonnes of BT cotton seeds to farmers gathered at Mpeketoni Agricultural Training Centre (ATC), in a twin intervention valued…

AFA Acting Director General Calistus Kundu

Macadamia farmers to form Cooperatives as sector sets Ksh 100 farm gate price

Sacco ReviewMay 7, 2026May 7, 202604 mins

Farmers in Kenya’s macadamia sector have agreed to form cooperatives as part of extensive reforms aimed at streamlining the value chain and improving earnings. The resolution was reached during a two-day forum that brought together Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) as a regulator, processors and farmers, where participants emphasized that cooperatives will enhance bargaining power,…

National Irrigation Authority directed to fast-track stalled irrigation projects

Sacco ReviewMay 6, 202604 mins

Members of the National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee on Commercial Affairs and Energy have directed the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) to urgently complete several delayed community irrigation projects, some of which have stalled for up to six years. The concerns emerged during a committee session reviewing NIA’s financial records following queries raised by the Office…

AFA,Macadamia stakeholders meet to chart reforms to strengthen the sector

Sacco ReviewMay 6, 202602 mins

The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) on May 5, convened a stakeholders’ consultative forum bringing together key players in the macadamia subsector to plan reforms aimed at strengthening the value chain. The meeting focused on building consensus around price stabilization and introducing measures to guarantee fair compensation for farmers. During the session, macadamia farmers raised…